If J.R.R. Tolkien had lived to see Snow White get a live-action makeover, he might have had some strong words. The legendary Lord of the Rings author was NOT a fan of Walt Disney’s work, once calling it “hopelessly corrupted.” Fast-forward to Rachel Zegler’s Snow White, and let’s just say the internet already has opinions.
With major changes, modern updates, and zero dwarfs, this isn’t the fairy tale Disney first brought to life in 1937. Whether Tolkien would have hated it or just side-eyed it, this Snow White would have been quite the debate.
J.R.R. Tolkien vs. Disney: Why the fantasy legend would’ve hated Rachel Zegler’s Snow White
Had J.R.R. Tolkien seen Rachel Zegler’s Snow White, he probably wouldn’t have been a fan. The Lord of the Rings author once called Walt Disney “hopelessly corrupted” and couldn’t stand how he simplified fairy tales. In a 1964 letter (via openculture.com), he’d said:
I recognize his talent, but it has always seemed to me hopelessly corrupted. Though in most of the ‘pictures’ proceeding from his studios there are admirable or charming passages, the effect of all of them is to me disgusting. Some have given me nausea.
Back in 1937, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs hit theaters just months after Tolkien’s The Hobbit was published. Tolkien saw the film with C.S. Lewis, and neither was impressed. Lewis thought Disney had talent but lacked refinement. Tolkien, meanwhile, thought Disney’s take on fairy tales was a travesty.
His biggest issue? The dwarfs. Tolkien’s own dwarves (yes, he insisted on that spelling) had deep, mythic roots. Disney’s, on the other hand, were slapstick, silly, and, worst of all, marketable. To Tolkien, Disney had taken something sacred and turned it into a joke. He once wrote that Disney’s films gave him “nausea” and even banned his own stories from ever being adapted by the studio.
Fast-forward to 2025, and Disney’s Snow White is not the classic tale Tolkien would have respected. No dwarfs. Major rewrites. A modernized princess. While Tolkien’s disdain was for Disney’s old-school charm, one can only imagine how he’d react to this version. He’d probably be grumbling from Middle-earth.
Did Rachel Zegler’s posts curse Snow White? Fans blame backlash for box office disaster
Did Rachel Zegler just speedrun the worst Disney PR nightmare? The live-action Snow White hit theaters last week, but the real drama started months ago, right on Zegler’s social media (via Independent).
Back in August, while hyping Snow White on X, she threw in a free Palestine post (per Variety). It racked up 8.8 million views and sent Disney execs into full-blown damage control. Even producer Marc Platt flew to NYC for an emergency Zegler intervention. Then, in November, she doubled down with a “F*** Donald Trump” post, basically waving goodbye to a chunk of Disney’s audience.
By opening weekend, Snow White barely scraped $43 million, against a jaw-dropping $270 million budget. Ouch. Throw in casting backlash, Peter Dinklage roasting Disney’s dwarf storyline, and brutal reviews, and yeah, this remake was doomed before it even started.
Snow White was released on March 21, 2025.
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